Advances and Experience in CubeSat Propulsion System ...mstl.atl.calpoly.edu/~workshop/archive/2018/Spring/Day 2/Session 3... · Advances and Experience in CubeSat Propulsion System

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VACCO Proprietary Data – Shall Not Be Disclosed Without Written Permission of VACCO

VACCO ChEMS™ Micro Propulsion SystemsAdvances and Experience in CubeSat

Propulsion System Technologies

May 1st, 2018

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Advances and Experience in CubeSat Propulsion System Technologies – VACCO Industries2

VACCO Industries

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Tyvak NanoACE Micro Propulsion System

• NanoACE Launched 7 July 2017

• Contract with Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems Inc.

• Occupies Center 1U of 3U Cubesat

• Provides Attitude Control, Divert & Delta-V

Photo: Terran Orbital

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NASA/Tyvak CPOD Micro Propulsion System

• Contract with Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems Inc.

• CPOD: NASA Cubesat Proximity Operations

Demonstration

• (2) Flight Systems Delivered

• Occupies Center 1U of 3U Cubesat

• Provides Attitude Control, Divert & Delta-V

Photo: Terran Orbital

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CPOD Micro Propulsion System Overview

System Overview

All-Welded Aluminum Alloy Construction

Eight 10mN Cold Gas Thrusters

174 N-S Total Impulse, 31 m/s Delta-V

0.10 mN-S Minimum Impulse Bit

1U Center Manifold, Clamshell

Configuration

510 grams Self-Pressurizing R236fa

Green Propellant

Smart System with Integral

Microcontroller

RS422 Digital Interface

Integral Sensor Suite

Total “Wet” Mass: 1270 grams

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JPL Mars Cube One (MarCO) Mission

Mission Objective:

Provide an 8kbps real-time relay for

InSight’s Entry, Descent and Landing at

Mars

Two Units will be Launched with the

InSight Mission May 2018

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JPL MarCO Micro Propulsion System

First Interplanetary Cubesat

Launch with InSight Lander, May 2018

Smart, Self-Contained Propulsion System:

Contract for (2) Flight Systems

755 N-Sec Total Impulse

3490 gram Wet Mass

System-in-a-Tank Design Including:

Propellant Storage & Feed System

(4) Axial & (4) RCS 25mN Thrusters

Controller & Sensor Suite

Two Interrupts Against Leakage

Low Power Continuous Power (<15 watts)


Microcontroller Driven:

RS422 Digital Interface

Controls Burn Type & Duration

Closed-Loop, Variable Thrust Control

(3) Settable Thermal Control Zones

(3) Power Supplies, (9) Valve Drivers

STORAGE

TANK

(4) AXIAL

THRUSTERS

(4) RCS

THRUSTERS

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JPL/MSFC Near Earth Asteroid Scout Mission

Target

Mission Objectives:

• Detect, rendezvous with and flyby a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) target

• Characterize physical properties: volume, spectral type, spin mode and orbit

• ≥80% coverage imaging at ≤50 cm/px

• ≥30% coverage imaging at ≤10 cm/px

Main Propulsion: ~80m² Solar Sail

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NEA Scout Micro Propulsion System

Smart, Self-Contained Cold Gas

Propulsion System based on MarCO:

Contract for (1) Flight System

500 N-Sec Total Impulse

2600 gram Wet Mass



(2) Axial & (4) RCS 25mN Thrusters


Three Interrupts Against Leakage

Power: <9 watts while Firing


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SWRI CubeSat Mission to Study Solar Particles (CuSP)

CuSP Mission Objectives:

1. Study Solar Particles in interplanetary space

2. Be a Pathfinder for creating a network of “Space Weather Stations”

3. Strengthen the case for CubeSats as a viable platform for performing ‘High

Value’ Science

4. Raise the TRL of the SIS instrument for future missions

VACCO CuSP MiPS

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CuSP Micro Propulsion System

Smart, Self-Contained Cold Gas Propulsion

System based on MarCO:

Contract for (1) Flight System



(4) RCS 25mN Thrusters


Two Interrupts Against Leakage

Power: <12 watts while Firing


25 mN Thrusters (4) places

Electrical Connector

Fill Port (Thruster)

Manifold

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JAXA Nano Impactor (Omotenashi) CubeSat

OMOTENASHI:

• Lunar mission designed jointly by

the Japan Aerospace Exploration

Agency (JAXA) and the University

of Tokyo.

• Will demonstrate low-cost

exploration of the lunar surface.

• 6U CubeSat to be put onto a

course to the moon. The probe

performs a semi-hard landing at a

velocity of about 30 m/s.

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25mN Cold Gas Thrusters, (4)

Places

Propellant Tank

Manifold

Omotenashi MiPS

(2) Identical RCS Assemblies (left & right):

Self-Contained Delta-V / RCS Systems

(4) 25mN Cold Gas Thrusters in Each:

(2) Axial, Pitch / Yaw

(2) Roll Control


Normally-Closed Frictionless Valves

Built-In, Shielded Control Electronics

9V to 12.6V Unregulated Input Voltage

RS422 Data Bus Interface

Integral Pressure & Temperature Sensors

Minimum Impulse Bit: <4.0mN-Sec

Range Safety Features:

Green R236fa Propellant:

Benign Fire Extinguisher Material

Max Pressure <0.69MPa (<100 psi)

(3) Interrupts Against Propellant Leakage

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VACCO Proprietary Data – Shall Not Be Disclosed Without Written Permission of VACCO

Green Monopropellant Micro Propulsion Systems

ECAPS 1N ADN Thruster on PRISMA ECAPS 100mN ADN Hot Fire Test

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ArgoMoon Hybrid Micro Propulsion System

ArgoMoon

• Lunar mission designed by the

Italian company Argotec for the

Italian Space Agency (ASI)

• Will demonstrate proximity

operations with the Interim

Cryogenic Propulsion Stage

(ICPS)

• Record images of the ICPS for

historical documentation

• Test optical communication

capabilities between the

CubeSat and Earth.

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ArgoMoon Hybrid Micro Propulsion System

Propellant Tank

100mN ADN (LMP-103S) Monopropellant Thruster

Customer is Argotec in Italy

EM-1 CubeSat

Self-Contained Propulsion System:

(1) Axial 100mN LMP-103S Delta-V Thruster

(4) 25mN Cold Gas ACS Thrusters:

Double Canted 15° in Pairs

All-Welded Titanium Alloy Construction


Built-In, Shielded Controller

Sensor Suite

9V to 12.6V Input Voltage


ACS Minimum Impulse Bit: <1.25mN-Sec

Green LMP-130S Monopropellant:

Flight Proven on PRISMA

Qualified for Skybox

UN / US 1.4S (Commercial Aircraft)

R134a Pressurant / ACS Propellant

(3) Interrupts Against LMP-103S Leakage

(3) Interrupts Against R-134a Leakage

25mN Cold Gas Thrusters, (4) Places

LMP103S Fill Port

Lead Wires(2) Places

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JPL/MSFC Lunar Flashlight Mission

Mission Objectives:

• Map surficial lunar water ice in permanently-shadowed regions

Measurements:

• Using the difference in reflected laser light ratios to indicate the presence and quantity of water ice

• Multiple passes over lunar south polar region with potential ice deposits.

Key Technical Constraints:

• 30 month maximum mission duration

• Surface illumination strategies

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VACCO Lunar Flashlight Micro Propulsion System

Self-Contained Delta-V Propulsion System:

(4) 100mN ADN Thrusters

Provides Pitch, Yaw, Roll and Delta-V

All-Welded Titanium Alloy Construction


Built-In, Shielded Controller

5V & 28V Input Voltage

15 watts while firing


Full Sensor Suite

Minimum Impulse Bit: <5mN-Sec

Range Safety Features:

Green ADN Monopropellant:

Flight Proven on PRISMA

Qualified for Skybox

UN / US 1.4S (Commercial Aircraft)

(3) Interrupts Against Leakage

Benign GHe Pressurant

Safe and Arm Circuit

Power / DataConnector 100mN LMP-

103S Thrusters(4) Places

LMP-103S Tank

Manifold

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NASA MSFC ISAT Iodine Propulsion Flight Experiment

(2) VACCO Proportional Flow Control Valves

Valves proportionately control iodine

vapor flow to anode and cathode.

VACCO supplied (2) development

units hot fire tested at both GRC and

MSFC.

VACCO currently under contract for

(5) flight units (4 delivered to-date).

Inconel Valve Manifold

Piezoelectric Actuator

Redundant Heaters

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6U Xenon Propellant Management System (PMS)

2,000 psi Xenon Storage Tank

Proportional Flow Control

Valve

High Pressure Transducer

NC Isolation

Valve

Fill Port w/Cap

Titanium Manifold

RF Thruster Cathode

SystemFilter

P

PressureTransducer

NC Valve

2,000 psi Xenon

Anode

Cathode

Flow Resistors

ProportionalValve

Fill Port

The VACCO PMS is a Highly-Integrated

Xenon Storage and Feed System.

3W RF Thruster and Cathode Mounts to

the Front Face of the PMS.

All-Welded Titanium Assembly.

Fully Qualified Components.

Storage Capacity: 71 cm3 @ 2,000 psi.

10 micron System Filter.

High Pressure Transducer.

High Pressure Normally-Closed Valve.

Fill Port with Cap.

High Pressure Proportional Valve.

Flow Resistors for Fixed Flow Ratio.

17 x 8.4 x 6.4 cm envelope

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Summary

Flight Proven on Tyvak NanoACE

VACCO has a Variety of Micro Propulsion

Solutions for ACS and Delta-V:

Tyvak NanoACE

NASA/Tyvak CPOD MiPS

JPL MarCO MiPS

JPL/NASA Lunar Flashlight EM-1 MiPS

JPL/NASA NEAScout EM-1 MiPS

SwRI CuSP EM-1 MiPS

JAXA Omotenashi EM-1 MiPS

Argotec ArgoMoon Hybrid EM-1 MiPS

Xenon & Iodine EP Feed Systems

Self-Contained Systems

Smart & Versatile

Various Propellants:

R236fa, R134a, Isobutane

LMP-103S, AF-M315E, Xenon & Iodine

Materials of Construction:

Titanium

Aluminum

Inconel

Advances and Experience in CubeSat Propulsion System ...mstl.atl.calpoly.edu/~workshop/archive/2018/Spring/Day 2/Session 3... · Advances and Experience in CubeSat Propulsion System

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